


sugarcoated

by MollyRenata



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Confusion, Fluff, Multi, Polyamory, Shenanigans, Stupid Boys being Stupid, Valentine's Day, White Day, more like shonanigans amirite, rated for sho being himself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29435016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyRenata/pseuds/MollyRenata
Summary: What's the protocol for same-sex couples on Valentine's Day? Neither Yu nor Sho know. Shenanigans ensue.Also, Rise has an apology in order.Chapter 2: White Day, from Rise's perspective.
Relationships: Kujikawa Rise/Narukami Yu, Minazuki Sho/Kujikawa Rise, Minazuki Sho/Narukami Yu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea that's been floating around in my head for a while, so here we go. An actual holiday fic. It's sloppy, and doesn't take place in any specific timeline, and sorta disregards canon in a few ways, but it's cute okay.

* * *

Yu had _no idea_ what to do for Valentine's Day.

It had been a simple affair when he was just with Rise. She had _lovingly_ crafted a gift of chocolates for him, and he had forced himself to eat them; the unpleasant combination of flavors and the downright toxic spiciness of the chocolates turned his stomach and made his eyes water, and yet they were nowhere _near_ as bad as what Nanako had offered him. All in the name of love, Yu had tortured his digestive tract, and that was _still_ easier than what he faced _now._

When it came down to it, he didn't know the protocol for same-sex relationships. The arrangement he had now was pleasant enough, but it left him confused - was he supposed to give chocolates to his boyfriend? Was Sho the one who was supposed to give chocolates to Yu? The latter wouldn't happen in a million years, he thought, since Sho was even _more_ clueless when it came to these things. Such was the cost of being isolated from society...

After a bit of asking around among his friend group, Yu came up with _nothing._ Yosuke refused to talk about the subject, and Kanji was so flustered that he could barely talk. Teddie was the _opposite_ of helpful, Chie and Yukiko threatened to cause more harm than good, and Rise didn't know the answer herself. Naoto informed Yu that if he had asked sooner, she would have been able to get him an answer in time - but his inquiry was too late, as she required some time to look into it.

However, Naoto _did_ mention offhand during the conversation that Rise had _inspired_ her in a way, and that she planned to get candy for _everyone_ in the group... including _Minazuki._ Yu understood the context of that statement, but he couldn't help feeling the slightest twinge of jealousy at the thought that one of his boyfriends would be getting chocolate from someone who _wasn't_ part of their arrangement.

When the day arrived, Yu hoped and _prayed_ that his final decision - made in a bout of frenzied and irrational thought - was an acceptable one. He put together two batches of chocolate, one for Sho and one for Minazuki, and waited for the dreaded moment to arrive.

* * *

Sho had heard that Yu was going to be at Marukyu for Valentine's Day. Yu himself hadn't mentioned it, but Rise had - she was _incredibly_ excited about him managing to get a day off to come and visit, and she had expressed that she was expecting Sho to come as well. It made sense, from what little the wanderer understood about this holiday; apparently, girls were supposed to give chocolate to the boys they liked, and since Rise liked two boys - well, _technically_ three - she wanted them all to be _together_ for the occasion.

There was just one _problem._ Sho was _also_ in a relationship with Yu, and not even Minazuki could come up with some helpful advice in that regard. What the hell were two boys in love supposed to do in this situation?

It wasn't like Minazuki to take chances, but just this once, he offered a bit of risky advice to Sho. Perhaps the best course of action for the two of them would be to act as if they were the "girls" in this situation - in other words, to give a gift of chocolate to Yu. Sho accepted that, and told Minazuki to take over so that he could deal with the process of making or _buying_ the chocolate; now, their shared body's primary soul was back in charge, and they were on their way to the little tofu shop to deliver their present.

Sure enough, Yu was there, and _not_ as a customer. He had his eyes trained on Rise, watching her as she worked behind the counter; the expression on his face was expectant, as Sho had come to understand over the course of their relationship. More interesting was the fact that Yu carried a bag over one shoulder - a _Junes_ bag.

Had he gone shopping or something? And why did that bag have the suspicious shape of a _box_ pressing against the inside?

"Hey, Yu." Sho stepped up to his boyfriend, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's up?"

Yu glanced back, and raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "...You're here, too?"

"Well, _duh._ " Sho felt a bit annoyed by the fact that Yu apparently hadn't been expecting him. "It's Valentine's Day, right? I'm not _that_ stupid. You get gifts from girls that like you, right?"

"Well... _yeah._ " Yu turned around, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. "But you usually don't come to a girl's place to ask for a gift. It's actually... pretty rude."

"Yeah, like _you're_ one to talk," Sho pointed out, as he pulled his own hand back to place it on his hip. "Don't think I can't see what you're up to... and what's with that bag? You plannin' on some _role reversal_ this year?"

"Um..." To Sho's surprise, Yu just looked even _more_ flustered now - had that snarky remark actually been _correct?_ "...The truth is... er..."

After a moment of (rather adorable) blushing and hesitation, Yu reached into the bag he was carrying, and pulled out a box. It looked like something cheap and store-bought, with tacky red hearts all over the surface - _definitely_ not for Rise, Sho thought, as Yu would put _far_ more effort into a gift for _her._

...Wait, then was this for-

"I didn't know what to do," Yu blurted out, uncharacteristically shy. "So... I made you this."

_Holy shit._

Sho stared at the box for a long moment, then snatched it away, prying it open to look at the contents. While the outside didn't look like something that a great deal of care was put into, the inside was a different story - Sho had seen enough chocolate in his time to tell when something was manufactured in a factory, and this definitely _wasn't._ Yu had made these _himself,_ and the contrasting box was most likely because he'd done it spur-of-the-moment.

"...Seriously?" Sho resisted the urge to burst out laughing - it said something that he and Yu had the same thought. "Thanks..." He felt his own face heat up, and looked away, a bit shy himself at the reminder. "I, uh." He set aside Yu's box for the time being, and dug around in his own pack; when he found what he was looking for, he pulled it out and held it in front of him. "Here."

Yu didn't respond at first, and Sho worried that he'd done something wrong - it wouldn't be the first time, and there was no doubt that it wouldn't be the last, either. Just before Sho could lash out in frustration at his rather public screw-up, Yu took the box... and started _laughing,_ in his quiet and subtle way.

"I guess we'd better look into this in the future," Yu remarked, and when Sho looked back at him, he had a bright smile on his face. "Thanks, by the way. Did you buy this or make it?"

"Ask _him,_ " Sho said, and then he gave in to the urge he'd resisted before; this whole situation was just about the most ridiculous thing he'd experienced in his life, and he'd experienced a _lot_ of ridiculous things. His laughter caught Rise's attention, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught her looking at him-

"You two are _such_ a mess." Rise made her way over to the boys, her smile even brighter than Yu's. "...Did you make enough for two, Senpai?"

Yu blinked at her, then gave a single nod. "Yeah, I did." He looked back at Sho. "Save some for Minazuki, okay?"

 _'How very thoughtful of him.'_ Minazuki's tone didn't betray any surprise, and Sho had the sneaking feeling that he'd _anticipated_ this. _'Let him know that I appreciate his consideration.'_

"...Yeah, he says thank you, too." Sho averted his gaze again, blushing even hotter than he had before. "You... wanna see him?"

"Not right now," Rise interjected, and she withdrew her own set of boxes from a bag at her side - Sho hadn't noticed it before, and wanted to berate himself for that. "I have something for you, too."

Of course - she _was_ the girl in the arrangement, and it made sense that she'd have something for her boys. The timing was a little weird, but then again, Sho wasn't one to talk in that regard; he and Yu had _both_ come here in their anticipation, despite the fact that it was _rude,_ and it was a good thing that Rise didn't mind.

"First, for Sho-kun." Rise held out the decorated box on top, and Sho could _smell_ the spice from inside - her own personal recipe. "I thought you'd like them this way... oh, and save some for Minazuki-kun, too. I made a lot, so you should let him have his later."

Ah yes, the infinite woes of sharing a body with your roommate. Sho had made the mistake of eating too much sugar at once before, and he was at least somewhat grateful that Minazuki had been able to take over and spare him the ensuing agony - not that he'd _admit_ it to the guy, of course.

"Thanks and _thanks,_ " Sho told her, as he took the box from her. "You've really _spiced things up,_ yeah?" He took another whiff of the box, savoring the unusual yet delightful scent. "Smells _great._ I can already tell these'll really _blow me away!_ "

"Um..." Yu, on the other hand, looked concerned as he eyed the second box. "Did you... make those, too?"

"Actually... no." Rise hung her head, looking downright ashamed of herself; from the sound of it, their first Valentine's together had been a bit of a disaster. "...I bought them at a specialty shop before I came here. I know that... you didn't really like my homemade chocolates before, and I couldn't get the recipe right, so..." She breathed a sigh. "...I know it isn't as personal. I'm sorry, Senpai..."

To the immediate surprise of both Sho and Rise, Yu's enthusiasm returned all at once. "No, it's alright. I don't mind at all." He took the box, every bit as sunny as when he'd received Sho's gift. "You still put a lot of thought into it, and that's what counts. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Rise."

He set the day's earnings aside and pulled Rise into a hug; she reciprocated right away, and started crying into Yu's shirt - but it was obvious even to Sho that these were tears of _joy._ Despite the trouble they'd faced before, the two were still as close as always, and Yu was more than qualified for _sainthood_ at this point.

"Can I join in?" Sho asked, after he set down his own second gift. "It's not much of a _show_ without the star, is it?"

"...You're _horrible._ " With those words, Rise tugged Sho toward her, and after a bit of fumbling, the three managed to fit together in a group hug. The events of today had been _unexpected,_ to say the least - but Sho couldn't find it in him to complain, not when he was wrapped up in the warmth of both Yu _and_ Rise, and with the promise of some absolutely _amazing_ candy further down the line.

Things were rough between them from time to time, but Sho had faced far worse challenges in his life, and he wouldn't trade this feeling of _being accepted_ for the world.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't actually know if there's any protocol of the sort, myself. I could probably look it up, but where would the fun in that be?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I scribbled this up quick, based off of the same idea that kickstarted the first part.

* * *

Rise had been anxiously looking forward to White Day since the beginning of her arrangement.

Sure, it was _great_ to receive candy from Yu. He put it together with all the meticulousness he put into everything else, and even if it was a little _bland_ for her tastes, she didn't mind - the sentiment behind the gift was _more_ than enough to make up for any lack of flavor. Their first White Day together had been a lucky break for the both of them, and it seemed that the same was going to happen this year.

 _This year,_ there were two _other_ boys that Rise expected to receive gifts from. One of them was loudmouthed and obnoxious at his best, the other was sometimes a bit callous, and they both inhabited the same body - but they'd made it very clear to her on many occasions now that they cared for her just as much as they cared for Yu. Also, those two had _plenty_ of free time to spare, so arranging things with them wasn't anywhere near as difficult as it was with Yu.

Not that it _bothered_ Rise - she'd drop whatever she was doing at the chance to see her beloved senpai - but there were some _challenges_ with this arrangement. She was just grateful that this wonderful day promised to be an exception.

The only problem was that she hadn't been able to come down to Inaba for a day trip. Getting the day off was one thing, escaping the watchful gaze of her legions of fans to see her boyfriends was another thing entirely; it was much easier to go over to Yu's apartment for the day, and Sho's intimidating appearance would be more than enough to drive off anyone who wanted to question why he was there.

 _Lucky,_ Rise thought to herself as she chatted idly with her young colleague through text messages. Kanami didn't know about the arrangement, and Rise had the sneaking suspicion that she wanted a bit more than _friendship-_

"'M here." Sho announced his presence loudly, as he always did; he dropped the bag he was carrying on the table, then shrugged off his coat, leaving it on the floor. He was normally meticulous enough not to leave a mess like that, but the look in his eyes gave away his excuse - he was _dead tired,_ for reasons Rise could not begin to comprehend, and she almost wanted to ask him _why._

Instead, her attention was drawn to the size of the package he'd brought. It looked... rather _large._ What in the world had gotten into his head? Was this Minazuki's idea?

"Hey." Yu turned his attention away from whatever he was working on - Rise had intentionally distracted herself to keep from disturbing him - and greeted Sho in his usual subdued fashion. The contrast between the two was as entertaining as always, and there was no doubt in Rise's mind that if their arrangement ever became public knowledge, everyone would question how Sho and Yu got together in the first place.

"You look exhausted," Rise observed, stating the obvious. It wasn't _quite_ an inquiry as to why Sho was so tired, but she knew him well - he would explain anyway. He loved _any_ excuse to complain.

"It's all _his_ fault." Sho plopped himself down in one of the chairs at the table, and relaxed in a way that he didn't often do; his whole body went slack in the chair, and he squinted his eyes shut as he continued his tirade. "He said he wanted to do something _special_ for White Day, and took over all night... by the time he let me back out, the sun was shining in my eyes, and I damn near went blind." He breathed a long, heavy sigh. "So _yeah,_ I didn't sleep last night."

In a sense, that was kind of ironic. Sho often had trouble sleeping, and in those cases, Minazuki usually _helped_ him sleep. For his other half to be the _cause_ of his sleeplessness instead - Rise held back a laugh, and stood from where she'd seated herself on the couch in the main living area, making her way over to the table.

"You should know better than to do that, Minazuki-kun." Rise gently chided the soul in question, knowing that he could hear her, even in his current state. "Sho-kun needs his rest."

"Yeah, y'hear that?" Sho sounded almost triumphant as he emphasized Rise's words to his other half; a moment later, he groaned. "...I'm gettin' real sick of your bullshit, y'know. Every single freakin' time, you have some kinda shitty excuse..."

Of course, the problem with Sho and Minazuki's _living arrangement_ was that only one of their voices could be heard by others at any given time. Rise had no idea what Minazuki had said, but she could extrapolate based on Sho's words - the odds were that he'd insisted this was _important,_ that White Day was a _special occasion_ and that he needed to put as much effort into his gift as he could, and just the _thought_ of it sparked a brilliant warmth in Rise's heart.

For all his cold indifference prior to the beginning of their arrangement, Minazuki could be quite romantic when he put his mind to it. Toward those he cared about, he was passionate and intense - similar to Sho, but in a way that was all his own.

"Can we get this over with?" Sho straightened himself out, giving no room for either of his lovers to speak. "He wants to show you two the _fruits of his labor._ Probably just some _rotten tomatoes..._ "

"No, that's more Yukiko's thing," Yu remarked, unfazed. "Your timing was spot-on, though. I just finished." He picked up the boxes that he'd arranged on the counter- wait, _boxes,_ plural?

"... _This_ again?" Sho pressed a hand to his forehead as he looked between his own package and Yu's set of gifts. It was an instant replay of what had happened a month ago - the boys hadn't known what they were supposed to do for Valentine's Day, and so they'd ended up giving each other presents. It was both amusing and endearing, and this time, Rise didn't hold back her laughter.

Her boys were absolute messes - _all three of them_ \- and she loved them more than she could express in words. These moments made all the struggle of maintaining this arrangement _more_ than worth it, in her eyes.

"Looks like it." Through the blush on his face, Yu gave an awkward smile. "We really do need to look up protocol for this..."

"...And here I was worried you'd feel left out," Rise said, once she recovered from her laughter. "So... did you make enough for two?"

"Of course." Yu separated the boxes from each other, showing clearly that there were three of them - one for Sho, one for Minazuki, and presumably one for Rise. "How about you, Sho?" He paused, clearing his throat. "...Er, Minazuki?"

"Yeah, he made four." Sho unwrapped his bag, exposing the gifts in question. "One for each of you, from each of us... is what he said. Don't know why he didn't spend that time _looking up protocol..._ would'a saved us a _lot_ of trouble, but hey, he's not in the business of _saving us trouble._ "

Considering the fact that he hadn't slept last night, Sho had a remarkable amount of energy. Then again, it was his _body_ that had been awake, not his mind - Rise still wondered how exactly that worked, and since neither of them knew the answer themselves, she wasn't going to know anytime soon.

It was just another intriguing mystery, though this one would be a little more difficult to solve than the murders in Inaba, or the night of the red fog, or the Midnight Stage...

"I appreciate the consideration, regardless." Yu offered his boyfriend(s) a more genuine smile, then picked up the last box and turned to Rise. "And since it's White Day..." His expression turned knowing. "I deviated from the recipe a little."

Rise took the box and opened it up, and was immediately greeted by a delightful scent that hadn't been present last time. Yu really _was_ a master of his craft - it seemed that her dream of cooking for him had been dashed a long time ago, replaced by him spoiling her every chance he got, and she _wasn't_ about to complain.

This wasn't like the attention she got on stage as Risette. It was more personal, more _heartfelt,_ and she _basked_ in it whenever Yu offered it to her.

"Thank you so much, Senpai..." Rise put down the box and moved over to Yu, throwing her arms around his neck. "I can already tell I'm going to love these." She gave him a quick kiss. "But not as much as I love _you._ "

"You're welcome." Yu returned her embrace, and pecked her on the nose in turn. "I love you too, Rise." He lingered there for just a moment, then turned his attention to Sho. "What is it?"

Rise glanced over, and saw that Sho was fidgeting in his seat - impatient as always, so she decided not to make him wait. She pulled herself away from Yu and looked over the boxes that Sho had brought, wondering which ones were for her.

"The two on top," Sho pointed out helpfully, as he stood from his seat at last. "Bottom one's mine. I looked it over before I came here." He made an annoyed noise, clearly still a little miffed with his other half for last night.

"He made all of them?" Rise inspected the boxes that Sho had indicated, and glanced over at him one last time to make sure; when he nodded, she opened them up, one-by-one. "Oh, I can tell which ones are yours. That's cute!"

Minazuki had done an impressive job in imitating something that Sho would make - the design featured a red moon, and she could _smell_ the spice wafting from each piece. In contrast, Minazuki's own chocolates were plain and unadorned, and the scent was not quite so _strong.  
_

"...You know I can't cook worth shit," Sho muttered, averting his gaze. "And shut your damn trap. I'm not _cute,_ and neither are _they._ "

"Sometimes, you need to learn to face reality." Rise closed up the boxes and set them aside, then pulled Sho into a tight hug. "And _reality_ says you're cute. Sorry, I don't make the rules."

Sho didn't resist, and instead acquiesced to the hug, holding Rise close. "...Dammit, you're pretty good at this." He moved his mouth next to her ear, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Sorry I couldn't make 'em myself."

Rise thought back to what she'd done for Yu on Valentine's Day, and a bright smile spread across her face. "It's the thought that counts. Thank you, both of you... I love you."

"Love you too." Sho's grip tightened. "...He wants his turn. Never seen him this impatient before... kinda reminds me of _me._ " He gave a short laugh, which was a bit too close to Rise's ear, and she flinched away at the loud noise. "Shit, sorry!"

Rise just giggled and leaned back against him. "It's okay, you just startled me." She gave an expectant hum. "Anyway... Minazuki-kun?"

As if prompted, Sho's body went slack, and Rise supported him as best she could; he was taller, stronger and _heavier_ than her, and she was glad that it only took a moment for Minazuki to take over. When the possession was complete, he shifted away from her, placing his hands on her shoulders - and the look in his eyes was _intense,_ more so than she expected.

"I _did_ consult with him last night," Minazuki stated. "...I must apologize for his behavior. His mood should improve after we rest."

"It's _your_ fault that he didn't sleep," Rise reminded him, though her tone was light. "So... why were you so anxious to take over?"

Minazuki did not respond in words. Instead, he took one of the chocolates from the box he'd made for Rise, and bit it in half; after a moment, he leaned in and kissed her, deep and passionate - a bold move that she hadn't anticipated, and yet she savored the taste of the chocolate on his tongue, returning the kiss with equal vigor. Maybe he wasn't as good a cook as Yu, but his confections had turned out delightful regardless-

"Hey, that's a _great_ idea." Yu interrupted the two, sounding amused. "I'll have to try it on Sho later."

Minazuki broke the kiss then, allowing Rise to laugh to her heart's content as he put the half-eaten chocolate back in its box. It was a bit surprising that Yu hadn't come up with that idea on his own - but Rise knew now that she _had_ to get him to do it to _her,_ too.

After all, this was _her_ special day, and even if her boys were still clueless about what they should do for each other, they could _all_ agree that she deserved to be treated like a _princess_ for White Day.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minazuki kinda got the short end of the stick last time, but he'll only put up with that for so long. :p
> 
> (Also, I must apologize for the bit with Kanami. I headcanon Rise as straight, but I also think that Kanami might have a crush on her.)


End file.
